What is Vitamin B3? What foods are high in niacin? How does it help pregnancy and prevent miscarriages?

Rex Features
Francesca Gillett10 August 2017

Scientists have announced a major breakthrough in preventing miscarriages and birth defects.

According to researchers in Australia, the new finding is one of the greatest ever discoveries in pregnancy research and has been likened to the breakthrough between folic acid and healthy foetal development.

The study found taking doses of vitamin B3 can cure a dangerous molecular deficiency which causes birth defects and miscarriages.

Here is everything you need to know about vitamin B3.

What have the scientists discovered?

Researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney discovered a major cause of miscarriages as well as heart, spinal and cleft palate problems.

They found the problems were down to a deficiency in a molecule known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD.

A deficiency of NAD can be due to environmental and genetic factors which can stop it being produced in the body.

Lacking the vital molecule NAD while pregnant is particularly harmful as it cripples an embryo while it is forming.

Broccoli is a good source of niacin, or vitamin B3.
Shutterstock

But after 12 years of research, the scientists found the deficiency can be cured by taking dietary supplement vitamin B3.

What is vitamin B3?

B3 is also known as niacin and is found in meat, green vegetables and Marmite.

The nutrient is required to make NAD, so simply boosting levels of B3 in pregnancy can cure the NAD deficiency and thus prevent miscarriages and birth defects.

How much B3 is needed?

According to the study, around a third of pregnant women who took B3 supplements still had low levels of the vitamin in their first trimester.

This suggests women may require more vitamin B3 than is currently advised in supplements.

Professor Robert Graham, executive director of the institute, said: “Just like we now use folate to prevent spina bifida, the research suggests that it is probably best for women to start taking vitamin B3 very early on, even before they become pregnant.”

What foods are high in B3?

Turkey, beef, liver and chicken breast are all good sources of niacin, or B3.

Other vegetarian sources are broccoli, asparagus, peanuts, mushrooms, green peas, sunflower seeds and avocado.

Milk also contains small amounts of niacin.

How big is the impact of vitamin B3 on pregnant women?

According to the scientists, the results are “astounding”.

“Before vitamin B3 was introduced into the mother’s diet, embryos were either lost through miscarriage or the offspring were born with a range of severe birth defects,” the scientists said.

“After the dietary change, both the miscarriages and birth defects were completely prevented, with all the offspring born perfectly healthy.”

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